Campus news & notes

Stefano Cavallaro, the new student body president at FSU, is also the newest member of the statewide Board of Governors. The Florida Student Association elected Cavallaro to serve as the board’s student representative. It’s the first time an FSU student body president has been a BOG member. This position coincides with his new role as chairman of the Florida Student Association.Cavallaro will join the 17-member Board of Governors as a full voting member and will be instrumental in setting policy for Florida’s 12 public universities.Cavallaro is pursuing a double major in accounting and political science at FSU and will be a senior in the fall. This past year, he served as director of governmental affairs, where he led the student body in advocacy efforts.

FSU’s Granger to lead new USEA group

Ellen Granger, the director of the Office of Science Teaching Activities within FSU’s Department of Biological Science, has been named president of the newly formed executive board of UTeach STEM Educators Association (USEA). USEA is dedicated to addressing the ongoing need for improved teaching and learning in the STEM fields — science, technology, engineering and mathematics. In her role as president of USEA, Granger will play a key role in the creation of a permanent and sustainable national network of UTeach programs and alumni. Granger is chair of FSU’s biology department.

5 at FSU named Boren scholars

FSU is one of the nation’s top producers of prestigious David L. Boren Scholarships with five seniors set to spend a year abroad in world regions critical to U.S. interests.Boren Scholarships provide up to $20,000 to U.S. undergraduate students to study less commonly taught languages in Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America and the Middle East. The students will gain valuable foreign language and cultural skills during their year abroad. The University of Maryland is first with 12 students, followed by American University with 11, the University of Wisconsin with nine and Arizona State University with seven. FSU’s five Boren scholarship recipients are: Tara Catanach, 21, a senior from Miami; Paige Dabney, 21, a senior from Baker; Trevor Longstreet, 21, a senior from Panama City; Michael “Eli” Mitrani, a senior from Hollywood; and Jacqueline Rojas, 21, a senior from Ocala.

Miller new chief spokesman at FAMU

Jimmy Miller is the newest member of FAMU President Elmira Mangum’s leadership team. He has been named vice president of communications and external relations. He began his post June 16. As a senior member of the president's cabinet, he is responsible for the planning, strategic direction and administration for the units that oversee the promotion of FAMU, including media relations, publications, social media, marketing and special events. He serves as the university’s chief spokesman. Miller brings to FAMU nearly 40 years of experience working in various levels of state and local government, including the New York City Housing Authority and the Housing Authority of the City of New Haven.

Parsons plays Carnegie Hall tonight

FAMU music professor Longineu Parsons will perform this evening alongside Broadway’s elite at the world-renowned Carnegie Hall. Parsons, a celebrated trumpet player, will appear in the Broadway reunion production “Black Stars of the Great White Way Reunion: Live the Dream.” The reunion pays tribute to the role African Americans have played in Broadway’s history and will honor the work of such entertainment legends as Louis Armstrong, Eubie Blake, Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, Louis Jordan, Paul Robeson and Fats Waller. Parsons will share the stage with some of Hollywood and Broadway’s greatest contributors such as Obba Babatunde, Keith David, Dule Hill, Norm Lewis, Phylicia Rashad, Chapman Roberts, Glenn Turner, Cicely Tyson and Ben Vereen.Parsons was the lead trumpeter in the hit Broadway musical revue “Bubbling Brown Sugar” for several years.

Will Packer on cover of ESSENCE

FAMU alumnus and hit movie producer Will Packer appears on the cover of the July issue of ESSENCE Magazine. The issue highlights Packer’s latest film release, “Think Like A Man Too,” in an eight-page spread titled, “Reunited…and It Feels So Good!” Packer, a 1996 graduate and founder of Will Packer Productions, has produced consecutive box office hits, which include “About Last Night,” “Think Like A Man” and “Stomp the Yard.” His latest works “No Good Deed” starring Idris Elba and Taraji P. Henson and “The Wedding Ringer” starring Kevin Hart and Josh Gad will debut in September 2014 and January 2015 respectively. A product of the FAMU electrical engineering program, Packer has had five films open at No. 1 and his films have collectively grossed more than a half billion dollars worldwide.

Local student pursues master’s at Harvard

A Leon High, TCC and FSU graduatewill attend the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University beginning this fall. Adam LaRose, who graduated from TCC in 2010 with an associate’s degree in political science, credits his time at TCC with preparing him for success at FSU and his eventual acceptance to Harvard. During his two years at TCC, LaRose was elected vice president of the Honors Program and served as a United States Senate intern. LaRose will pursue a master’s degree in public policy at Harvard with a specific focus in social policy.

Campus notes is a weekly roundup that appears on Monday. To submit information, email senior writer Doug Blackburn at dlbackburn@tallahassee.com